Quick-exhausting valve



,y sept. 16, 1952 W. WILCOX ET AL QUICK-EXHAUSTING VALVE Filed July 9, 1949 Patented Sept. 16` 1952 y r UNITED?v #STA-TES PATENT, OFFICE v 'l 2,610,859@4 f I l QUICK-EXHAUsTiNG-fvfinvn g Y Y Warren `Wilcox and DonaldA Daniel, Oakland,y 'l

Calif., vassignorsv to Modern lroductsLIvnc., Los v Angeles, Calif.,l a corporation of. California .Application July 9, 1949, Serial No. 103,918

. 1 This'invention relates to'a quick exhausting valve adapted to control the flow of air under pressure to machine tools and the like.

Thev main objects of this' invention arezto provide a simple and efcient valve for controlling the iiow of'a uid such as air under pressure; to provide a 'valve of this character'. which-is'very rapid and quick in its operation from one position to another; and to provide a quick exhausting valve which provides an effective seal for passing air under pressure to an air operated machine, and upon reversal will quickly move to a position whereby the air passed therethrough is thereupon exhausted or vented to the atmosphere.

An illustrative embodiment of this invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal medial sectional view taken through the valve with the movable control element in the position for passing air or like fluid to the machine to be operated from a suitable source of supply;

Fig. 2 is a similar view, but with the valve or air controlling member in the opposite position wherein the air which has been supplied to the operating tool is being vented to the atmosphere; and

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line III--III of Fig. 2, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

In the construction shown in the drawings, the improved quick exhausting valve comprises 4a cylindrical body member 4 having a cylindrical bore 6 therein extending axially from one end to a point in spaced relation to -the opposite end. The outer end is interiorly threaded as at 8 to receive an exteriorly threaded closure plug I which is provided with a threaded pipe opening I2.

The opposite end of the body member 4 is also provided with a threaded pipe opening I4 to which a source of fluid such as air under pressure may be connected.

The cylindrical bore 6 is adapted to receive an axially slidable uid control piston valve or member, generally designated I6, the exterior surface of which is provided with axially spaced annular grooves for receiving O-ring seals I8 and 20 which seal the space between the piston I6 and the cylinder wall 6. The inner end of the closure fitting I0 is counterbored to provide a smooth cylindrical surface 22 having its open end flared or radiused Soas to readily receive and slightly compress an O-ring seal 24 carried in an annular groove formed in the outer peripheral surface of 1 claim. (o1. 277.44.)

2 a reduced end portion 26 which is adapted to have a loose .workingrfit in thefbore 22.

.The piston `valve I6 is through-bored, the bore beingof two sizes' to providea shoulder 28 which serves as a seatfor a helical compresion spring `30;v The outeffend of'this' portion of the bore is interiorly u threaded toV receive an exteriorly threaded annular plug 32 which is provided with a valve seat 34 for a ball valve 36. The ball valve 36 is normally urged against the seat 34 by the compression spring 30. 1

The valve body 4 is provided with a plurality of angularly spaced, radially extending apertures 38 through which air is exhausted to the atmosphere.

In the operation of this device, the assembled valve is secured to a suitable source of fluid under pressure by the threaded opening I4 being screwed to a supply pipe, and the threaded opening I2 is connected to a pipe leading to the machine, tool, or other apparatus which is to be operated by air under pressure.

When air is supplied to the valve, the pressure builds up within the cylinder 6 due to the compression spring 30 holding the ball valve 36 normally on its Valve seat 34. The strength of the spring 30 is such that the ball valve 36 is held on its seat until the air pressure moves the piston valve I6 axially to the right, as viewed in Fig. 1, to the limit ofits movement, as shown in that ngureof the drawings. At this time, the reduced end 26 of the piston valve with its O-ring seal 24 is snugly tted in the counterbore 22 of the closure plug I0.

When the piston valve I6 reaches its limit of movement, as shown in Fig. l, the pressure of the incoming air will move the ball valve 36 off of its seat 34, as shown in Fig. l, at which time air from the source of supply will pass around the ball, through the piston valve and out through the opening I2 to the machine or tool to be operated. y

When the air supply is cut oi and the chamber 6 vented to atmosphere, the air under pressure which has been supplied to the tool being operated, together with the compression spring 30, will seat the ball valve 36 on its seat 34 and thereupon the air pressure will move the piston valve I6 to the left to the limit of its movement, as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings. When moved to this position, the air from the tool being operated, as shown by the arrows in Fig. 2, will escape out through the radial apertures 38 and thus be vented to the atmosphere.

Although but one specific embodiment of this invention has been herein shown and described,

3 it will be understood that numerous details of the construction shown may be altered or omitted without departing from the spirit of this invention as defined by the following claim.

We claim:

A quick exhausting valve of the class described comprising: a body member having a cylindrical chamber therein with inlet and outlet ends; said body member having pressure inlet and outlet ports communicating respectively with the inlet and outlet ends of the chamber; the outlet endr of the chamber having a cylindrical reduction defining a shoulder, the reduction being flared at said shoulder; said body member having 'a vent opening communicating withA the interior 'of the cylindrical chamber adjacent said reduction;V a valve piston slidable in said chamber and having a valved passage therethrough with inlet and outlet ends, the outlet end of the piston being re duced; a seal disposed between the chamber wall and the piston adjacent the inlet 'end of the piston; a seal carried bythe reduced end of the piston, said seal having less outer diameter than thev larger portion of the cylindrical chamber but of a size to produce a sealing t lin the reduced end of the chamber when the 'piston is moved to a position at the outlet end of the chamber;

in this position, the opening being located be tween the two seals and closed to ow from the outlet of the body member; the piston, when moved to a position at the inlet end of the chamber, having the seal of less diameter retracted from the reduced end of the chamber whereby an exhaust flow path is opened from the outlet of the vchamber directly to the vent opening in the body, the piston being withdrawn from said ow path.

WARREN WILCOX. DONALD E. DANIEL.

REFERENCES CITED Thev following references are of record in the le of this patent:

AUNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 832,178 Weiland Oct. 2, 1906 2,252,418 Shelley Aug. 12. 1941 2,270,549 Orr Jan. 20, 1942 2,358,228 Hoof Sept. 12, 1944 2,360,733 Smith Oct. 17, 1944 2,367,682 Kehle Jan. 23. 1945 2,445,505 Ashton July 20, 1948 s 2,501,706 vBent Mar. 28, 1950 

